Inverted lantern



Nov. 4, 1958 w. J. TOWNSEND :rAL 2,859,332

INVERTED LANTERN 2 SheetS- -Sheet 1 Filed June 25. 1954 J uvvzzvrons:

all/mend flfw ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 4, 1958 w. J. TOWNSEND EI'AL 2,859,332

INVERTEIID LANTERN Filed June 25, 1954 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 I I INVENTORS: I 49m,% yw

ATTORNEYS.

2,359,332 7 INYERTEDLANTERN Wilbur J. Townsend and Anthony M. Castello, Wichita,

Kans., assignors to The Coleman Company, Inc.,

' Wichita, Kans., a corporation of Kansas w r N Application June 25, 1954, serni No. 439,212

Claims. ((31. 240-38) This invention relates to an inverted lantern or burner;

apparatus. The invention is particularly useful as a liquid fuel burner in which the fuel is converted to a gas supplied to a mantle-equipped burner, while at the same time providing a depending burner with an enclosing globethrough which light rays may be directed downwardly without obstruction upon the area below.

In; the burning of fuels such as, for example, gasoline,

and particularly such fuels. which are provided with, anti-knock compounds. such-as lead tetraethyl, there is considerabledifiicultyencountered in the clogging up of the apparatus. and particularly to supply tubes leading to the burner. Further, there is a tendency for some of :the parts to be short-lived under ..the conditions imposed, and the mixing chamber particularly may be rendered ineflicient-by reasonof partial clogging due to the deposition of lead or lead compounds, etc. at restricted areas within the mixing chamber adjacent the burner.' Further, such gasoline lamps or liquid-burning apparatus present problems in thefurnishing of uniform volumes of vapor to-the burning'portion of the apparatus, and safety features are highly desirable for use with such devices.

An object 'of the present invention is to provide an inverted lantern having means for overcoming the dif-- ficulties described above and providing the stated desired A further object is to provide in such a advantages. structure simple means whereby a burner may be suspended for. illumination of the area below by direct light rays uninterrupted by obstacles, while at the same time providing means for the uniform supply of combustible vapors. or carburized air to the burner. 'A still further object is to provide in,such a mechanism means for removing anti-knock compounds or rendering the same substantially harmless to the apparatus. A still further object is to provide mechanism whereby the vaporizing chamber may be supplied with fuel from two distinct sources, the starting supply being separate from the normalfee'd for the apparatus. Yet a further object is to provide mechanism for instant lighting of the lantern while providing automatically-controlled means for supplying vaporized fuel to the burner after the initial lighting thereof. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical sectional view of an inverted lantern'embodying our invention; and Fig. 2, a broken enlarged sectional. View, showing in detail the fuelsupplying means and burner apparatus.

"In' the illustration. given, 10 designates a cylindrical casing provided at its top with a hood'lI provided with gas escape ports. 12. The lower portion of the casing 10.is providedwith a platform: 13 having downwardlyextending bell-shaped sides 14. About the cylindrical member 10 is secured an annular fuel tank 15 having a closure-equipped inlet 16 and an annular extending pressure pump 17. Since the pressure-pump 17 is a wellknown structure, a detailed showing is not given hereinl Patented Nov. 4,

It will be understood that thepressure, pump is equippet'l with a handle 18 which extends outwardly and which may be manipulated for the supplying of pressure with-f in the chamber 19 of the fuel tank 15. A bail ,or handle 20 is pivotally secured to attachment ears 21 carried bythe fuel tank 15 so that, when desired, the 'entirejlanttu'nj may be suspended from a hook or other support ther'e' above.

7 An air-mixing tube 22-is supported within the chamf ber 23 provided by the cylindrical casing 10, and the same extends downwardly throughan opening 'inlthe casing platform 13. In the specific structure, as shown more clearly inFig. 2, the mixing chamber or tube 22 comprises an upper gooseneck tube 24-which is enlarged at its lower end 25 so as to rest upon the platform 13 The lower portion 25 of the tube 24 is interiorly threaded to engage the upper threaded end of the lower tube'26 which, together with tube 24', forms the mixer tube 22.. A nut 27 may be employed for drawing the upper tube 25 down tightly against the partial wall or platform 13.

. The mixer tube 22 is threadably connected atits lower end to a burner chamber 28 having at its bottom aper tures 29 for the escape of the air and fuel mixture." A mantle 30 maybe employed about the burner 29, as shown more clearly in Fig. l. .1

In the illustration given, we provide a globe or transparent bowl 31 about the burner 29 and mantle 30. We prefer to mount the globe 31 upon a frame pivotally mounted at 32 so that the entirestructure may be swung downwardly to provide access to the mantle 30 for the lighting of the burner. It will be understood, however, that any suitable form of light globe may be provided, and the same may be secured in any desired manner. H

In the burner apparatus shown, we provide twomeans for supplying fuel tothe mixingtube 22. For the start-; ing .of the burner, we prefer to inject atomized fuel into: the mixer tube where it passes, together with air, downwardly into the burner while, at the same time, we -pro-,

vide means for supplying fuel through another passage to a point where it is vaporized and the vapor, mixed with air, is, supplied to. the mixing tube 22. After the second source of fuel becomes effective for supplying carburized air to the burner, we prefer to discontinue the injection of fuel through the first-described source.

The means for injecting atomizedfuel into the fuel column on orifice. The mixture passes through the tube 38 and thence out through the atomizing nozzle 39 into, the mixer tube 22.. Air enters the lower open end" of the tube 22 through the air inlet 40. The atomizedi fuel and air pass through the pipe 22 to theburner28 and the mixture may be ignited by the user after the globe or light bulb has been swung downwardly. After the lantern has been thus lighted and the bulb 31 swung 11 3-1 war'dly to closed position, fuel will be ,suppliedto the. burner'through' a different course, as indicated'above. On the side of the lantern opposite the fitting 33, isa. second fitting 41 having a flow passage 42 extending downwardly and controlled by the manuallyoperated' valve 143....From the valve-controlled'passage 42',"the" fuel extends downwardly through the extension member 44 and thence into a vaporizer tube coil 45. The tube coil 45 extends above and about the burner 28 and opens into the chamber 46 of the feed member 47. The feed may be utilized for raising and lowering the same to' move the pinor plunger 49 within the discharge nozzle of the fitting 48.

f In order to prevent the lead material from accumulat ing the mixing chamber and clogging the flow thereimiwe fill the vaporizer tube 45 with steel wool 52, and by providing the coil 45 in a circular spiral shape about the burner 28 so as to receive radiated heat there-' from, we provide for'the gradual increase of temperature viithin'tube 45 so that the lead compounds are decomplbsed uniformly Within the tube. With this structure, there'is no build-up of lead compounds in a specific area so as to provide blocking of the structure while at the same time preventing substantially any accumulation of lead materials within the important mixing chamber or tube'22.

In order to provide for the uniform feeding of fuel to the burner apparatus in accordance with the needs thereof, we provide within the fuel tank 15 a bellows control valve and standpipe structure which will now be described. A fitting 53 threadably engages the outlet portion 54 of the fitting 41 just above the outlet passage 42, and the fitting 53 provides a valve chamber 55 therein. Comrii'l'inicating with the valve chamber 55 below the valve 56 is a standpipe. 57 which has its upper open end communicating with the upper air space or chamber 19 of tank '15, but which is filled with a colunm of liquid. A vialve' 58 is carried by the valve stem 59 secured at its upper end to a bellows-supported member 60. A spring 61a normally urges the bellows 60 downwardly. The bellows is enclosed within a housing 61 having inlet apertures 62 near its lower portion. With the valve 58 open, as shown in Fig. 2, fuel leaves the tank 15 and passes downwardly through the outlet passage 42. When pressure in tank 19 becomes excessive, bellows 60 forces'valve stem 59 upwardly restricting orifice 56. Fuel then feeds from standpipe 57 into chamber 55 partially bypassing orifice 56. When liquid fuel in the standpipe is depleted the air-vapor mixture from the top of chamber 19 passes throughthe standpipe reducing pressure in this chamber. With the structure shown, in which the supply .of fuel to the mixing chamber is accomplished through a conduit entirely separate from the conduit through which the main 'fuel supply is made, the vaporizer tube 45 canthus he-kept dry and the life of the tube can be greatly-inq icased. The vaporizer tube 45, wl1ich has been a limiting factor in the life of a lantern, can be caused to operate almost indefinitely by the present arrangemennin whichf starting of the burner is accomplished through a separate mechanism which brings about the spraying of liquid or atomized fuel directly'into the mixing chamber, which is unconnected with the vaporizer tube. 45. Further, the instant lighting mechanism avoids the de-leading' structure and provides a safety feature for the starting of the burner. At the same time, safety of operation is promoted by the automatic valve structure controlling the flow of fuel through the vaporizer pipe in accordance with the demand of the nozzle 48.

If desired, the lantern may be provided with a wire sitand70, as shown more clearly'in Fig. 1. With this and the bail structure 20, the lantern may be placed in a standing position, as indicated in Fig. l, or suspended from a support by means of the bail 20.

While in the foregoing specification we have set forth a specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of; illustrating the invention, it will be understood that tank, and means within said fuel tank for supplying fuel such details of structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the-spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. In a burner apparatus, a frame, a burner suspended from the frame, a tube providing a mixing chamber above the burner and leading thereto, a vaporizing tube, a fuel to said vaporizing tube in automatically adjusted proportion to the discharge of vaporized fuel therefrom, said means comprising a valve-controlled passage, ajliquid-I filled pipe communicating with the :lower end' of said valve passage, and a bellows secured to the stem ofsaid valve and having inlets communicating with the liquid m said fuel tank. I

2. An inverted lantern, comprising a frame, an airmixing tube within said frame and depending therefrom,

- a burner carried by said tube, means for supplying air to the upper end of said tube, an annular fuel tank about said frame, means for supplying atomized fuel from said tank directly to said mixing tube, a vaporizing tube disposed above and about said burner with portions thereof located at varyingdistances therefrom,,means for dis-' charging fuel from said vaporizing tube into said mixing I tube, and valve-controlled means commumcatmg wrth' said annular tank at another point for supplying fuel to said vaporizing tube and for automatically maintaining the pressure thereof at a relatively constant value.

v 3. The structure of claim 2, in which the vaporizing tube is in the form of a coil about said mixing tube above said burner and has distributed therethrough steel wool.

' 4. An inverted lantern adapted to burn liquid 'fuel, j comprising a frame, a mixing tube having an open inlet v within said frame and depending therefrom, a mantle equipped burner communicating with the lower end of said mixing tube, a generally helical vaporizing coil about said mixing tube andabove said burner and containing steel wool disposed uniformly throughou t,means for supplying fuel. at .a predetermined limited pressure to said vaporizing coil, a'movably mounted glass bulb. suspended from said frame about 'said burner and mantle, an air chamber communicating with the open inlet of said mixing tube, means for discharging fuel from said vaporizing I coil into said air chamber, and a separate conduit leading from a source of fuel for injecting atomized fuel into said mixing tube above said air chamber.

, 5. A liquid fuel-burning lantern, comprising a frame, a burner suspended therefrom, a tubular mixing chamber above the burner and leading thereto, a helical vaporizing tube about said burner and equipped at one end'with a nozzle for injecting fuel into said chamber, a liquid fuel tank on said frame, means for injecting atomized fuel with air from said tank directly into said mixing chamberfor priming said burner for initial ignition, and

separate means for supplying fuel from said tank to said.

vaporizing tube, said means including a valve responsive to the flow of fuel through said nozzle for automatically maintaining pressure of fuel entering said vaporizing tube at a relatively constant value.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

